Visakhapatnam: Ministers, MLAs and senior officials were taken on a tour Indian Navy establishment with a view to providing them with first-hand knowledge on the might of Indian military on Tuesday.
The programme was organised to celebrate 50th year of India’s victory over Pakistan during 1971 conflict.
The naval capabilities were showcased to the invitees onboard ships of the Eastern Fleet of Indian Navy.
According to a release issued by Eastern Naval Command, the programne was organized at introducing the maritime domain to the peoples’ representatives and government officials of the neighbouring Odisha.
As many as 90 MLAs, one Member of Parliament along with officials from the State and District Administration embarked four major combatant ships of the Eastern Fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet.
Naval Officer-in-Charge (Odisha) was also in attendance.
The day-long event witnessed participation of Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa, Shakti, Shivalik and Sahyadri collectively demonstrating the capability to undertake a wide spectrum of maritime operations ranging from benign roles such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions to the entire ambit of maritime conflict. Two of these ships, Shivalik and Sahyadri have been designed and constructed indigenously, showcasing the warship building capability of the nation.
The Day-at-Sea included live demonstrations on weapon firings, combat drills, joint manoeuvres, maritime interdiction, replenishment at sea, naval aviation and search and rescue operations (SAR).
The event gave a closer glimpse of the roles and operations of the Indian Navy whilst concurrently highlighting the importance of Blue Economy and challenges of the maritime domain, both at and from the seas.
The event also holds significance considering the impetus being given to developing port facilities by the state including inland ports and associated infrastructure under the aegis of Project Sagarmala.
During the event, the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan,highlighted the initiatives by the Indian Navy in working tandem with the State administration to enhance awareness of the general populace towards coastal security.